Spirit Halloween leaves my husband dazed and confused...
My daughter caught sight of a YouTube video featuring Spirit Halloween's collection of animatronics and she was hooked. Now it is an annual tradition for our family to visit a Spirit Halloween store to check out the animatronics, walk through a "haunted" display, and browse their inventory of costumes, props, sets, decor, party favors, etc. This tradition is in its 4th year and this is the first time we are blogging it.
Finding the Right Store
Last year we drove to three different Spirit Halloween stores looking for the animatronics displays. That's when we learned, from the clerk in the second store, that there is also a "Haunted House" that customers can walk through in the third store we visited. Not wanting to drive around again this year, I emailed Spirit Halloween customer service with a list of five stores we wanted to visit so they could tell me which ones had their animatronics and haunted displays up. Turns out, they all had them up this year.
Animatronics
I learned from Spirit Halloween's In-Store Experience blog that the animatronic displays are actually themed each year. This year's theme was "S.S. Rip Tide," a haunted boat manned by the dead, docked at "Reaper's Wharf." It must have been a circus boat, because there seemed to be a lot of creepy clowns this year - probably due to the popularity of Pennywise from "IT."
We saw all the animatronics featured on Spirit Halloween's In-Store Experience blog, plus Demonic Dahlia, Bloodthirsty Betty, and Graveyard Ghoul. Jack Straw truly gave me a jumping scare!
Unfortunately, three of the animatronics did not work when we were there. Rusty and Graveyard Ghoul didn't work at all, and Pennywise had no sound. Nevertheless, the animatronic displays at Spirit Halloween are always impressively detailed, quite creepy, and a lot of fun! My daughter even found a new friend.
Fluffy!
Haunted Aquarium
This year's Spirit Halloween haunted display was the "Reaper's Wharf Haunted Aquarium." Unfortunately, when we walked through the aquarium at this particular store, several of the screens that were supposed to feature "terrifying sea creatures" were not working. But the one screen with the most terrifying sea creature certainly was working...
Costumes, Props, Decor & Party Supplies
Child with scissors... Run!
Spirit Halloween stores always boast an impressive array of costumes, props, decor, and party supplies - so impressive that my husband, a filmmaker, wishes they were open year-round so he could shop there when he needs props.
Stud
We literally found everything Halloween here, from the whimsical to the gory, the elegant to the disturbing, for kids and adults. Each section of the store is like its own "kingdom," starting with the adult side, to the gore in the back, and ending with the kids section on the other side of the store. Some of the "kingdoms" I recall included Crayola, Outer Space, Medical, Steam Punk, Medieval, Tropical, Mermaids & Unicorns, Harry Potter, Ghostbusters, Hocus Pocus, Gladiator, Wild West... just to name a few. There are also plenty of movie-inspired costumes, props, decor, etc. in the store. It is very well organized if you are trying to create a particular theme for your Halloween decorations.
I really like this dress.
We honestly did not buy anything this year because we already had our costumes and props from years past and from less expensive sources. Yes, the prices were a bit high for our tastes, but many of the pieces were unique items not necessarily found anywhere else, and the Halloween selection is a lot better. It's certainly more convenient if you would rather get all your Halloween decor from one place.
These Spirit Halloween stores come and go with the season. They literally set up shop in abandoned retail buildings, and then are gone when Halloween is over. So you will have to research their website (https://www.spirithalloween.com/) for a store in your area when the time comes.
We already can't wait until next year. Happy Haunting!
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